School of Law Speakers Bureau

The Western New England University School of Law Speakers Bureau brings legal expertise on cutting-edge issues to your campus. Our faculty boasts award-winning legal minds, who make a difference locally, nationally, and across the globe. We welcome the opportunity engage your students in a discussion of the legal issues they want to learn about and how law school can help them fulfill their goals.

The purpose of the Bureau is to help students learn how their law school education can help them make an impact on issues they care about.

Our speakers can present talks that explore such questions as:

How does marijuana legalization impact state law and local communities?

How does international and human rights law affect people globally and locally?

Selected Recent Presentations

Jennifer Levi

J.D. University of Chicago Law School, A.B. Wellesley College

Professor Levi, the 2018 recipient of the ABA’s Stonewall Award, has spoken widely on her active role in litigating precedent-setting cases establishing basic rights for LGBT people, including the right of same-sex couples to marry, a transgender student’s right to attend school, and the recent efforts to ban transgender people from serving in the military.

Bruce Miller

J.D. Harvard Law School, A.B. Stanford University

Professor Miller has talked to students and community groups about the legality of President Trump’s immigration and security-related travel restrictions, as well as how the First Amendment impacts free speech on college campuses.

Erin Buzuvis

J.D. Cornell Law School, B.S. University of New Hampshire

Professor Buzuvis is a nationally renowned scholar and speaker on matters related to Title IX’s mandate for gender equity in educational institution and on sports, gender, and the law. She is often cited in national newspapers like the New York Times for her expertise.

Sudha Setty

J.D. Columbia Law School, A.B. Stanford University

Dean Setty, who recently wrote a book on national security and the rule of law, speaks locally, nationally, and internationally on matters of national security, executive power, and democratic norms and values.

Julie Steiner

J.D. Boston University School of Law, B.A. Syracuse University

Professor Steiner has spoken frequently to interested groups and the media on the legal impact of states legalizing marijuana while the federal government has not.

Harris Freeman

J.D. Western New England University School of Law, B.A. University of Florida

Professor Freeman litigates immigration defense cases, and has spoken widely on the issues of recent immigration enforcement measures as well as the impact of the suspension of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy.

Barbara Noah

J.D. Harvard Law School, B.A. Union College

Professor Noah is a nationally recognized scholar who can speak about complex issues surrounding health law, bioethics, and the multitude of legal issues surrounding end-of-life care.

Lauren Carasik

J.D. Northeastern University Law School, B.A. Earlham College

Professor Carasik, who heads the School of Law’s International Human Rights Clinic and is a prolific commentator for publications like the Nation, Foreign Affairs, and Foreign Policy, does cutting-edge work in the area of human rights, especially in Central America. She has been an active participant in many domestic human rights matters as well, including the pipeline standoff at Standing Rock.

Matthew Charity

J.D. Columbia Law School, A.B. Princeton University

Professor Charity, who currently serves as a co-president of the Society of American Law Teachers, a high-profile organization devoted to advancing justice, diversity, and academic excellence, speaks and writes on matters of public international law, human rights, international criminal law, and federal criminal law.

Art Wolf

LL.B Columbia Law School, A.B. Tufts University

Professor Wolf, who founded the Law School’s Institute for Legislative & Governmental Affairs, is an expert on issues related to the role of federal courts, constitutional law, and immigration law.

Bob Statchen

LL.M Boston University School of Law, J.D. Chicago-Kent College of Law, M.B.A. University of Connecticut, B.A. Clark University

Professor Statchen, who runs the School of Law’s Small Business Clinic, writes and speaks about economic justice and development issues. He has also litigated immigration cases in conjunction with the ACLU of western Massachusetts.

Jeanne Kaiser

J.D. Western New England University School of Law, M.S. State University of New York at Buffalo, B.A. State University of New York at Buffalo

Professor Kaiser is a scholar and active litigator with regard to the child welfare system, including foster care, adoption, the rights of parents, and the rights of children. She also teaches and lectures on the importance of writing to the legal profession and how to improve one’s writing.

Bridgette Baldwin

Ph.D. Northeastern University, J.D. University of Wisconsin Law School, B.A. Marquette University

Doctor Baldwin is an expert on criminal law, criminal law reform, and critical race theory, and writes and speaks on civil rights issues.

Eric Gouvin

LL.M Boston University School of Law, J.D. Boston University School of Law, M.P.A. Harvard University, B.A. Cornell University

Professor Gouvin is a widely recognized scholar and speaker in business law and the issues facing small businesses and entrepreneurs. He also speaks on applying to law school and becoming a lawyer, and ghosts and the law (seriously, it’s not a joke!).

Tina Cafaro

J.D. Western New England University School of Law, B.A. University of Massachusetts

Professor Cafaro, who runs the School of Law’s Criminal Law Clinic, often presents to students interested in criminal justice who are considering becoming law enforcement officers. She also writes and speaks on matters related to impaired driving.

Justin Dion

J.D. Western New England University School of Law, M.A. Southern Connecticut State University, B.A. Southern Connecticut State University

Professor Dion, who directs the School of Law's Bar Success Programs, can speak about how hacking and data breaches affect all of us, and efforts to protect individuals from identity theft. He can also speak on consumer protection more generally, housing discrimination, nonprofit business law, pension rights, and trusts and estates.

Fred Royal

J.D. Cornell Law School, B.A. University of Massachusetts

Professor Royal is an expert on tax law, and can speak about the federal, state, local, and individual impact of the recent tax reform.